Coronavirus: How nature follows physical distancing, observes lockdown

At a time when India is reeling under COVID-19, a Mumbai-based naturalist is highlighting how nature - flora and fauna - is managing lockdown, maintaining physical distancing and staying at home.

A veteran in the field, Shardul Bajikar, is one of the finest story-tellers on nature.

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In the last over a month, he has been posting stories with photos and videos on the Facebook page of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

On termites, he writes: "Termites are eternal #LockDown protagonists and have lived a life under #lockdown since almost 100 million years. These highly evolved super-organisms (animals with a highly evolved social system showing distinct division of labour and where different individuals work only towards the common good of the entire colony/nest) make elaborate nests (mounds) and live within them."

Bajikar also makes a point that plants too follow lockdown. "Crinum lilies (Crinum latifolium) stay out of view for a good 11 months a year and make their appearance for about 15 days after the first few showers of monsoons. Those gorgeous flowers will appear first, followed by the leaves and rest of the plant bodies; and will be visible for only about 2 weeks. Later they just shrivel up and live locked in the soil for the next 11 months."

Giving another example, he states: "Camouflage has been the most preferred way of hiding, avoiding detection or staying out of harm's way; in a way all this results in effective social distancing.

This young Burrowing Frog (Sphaerotheca breviceps) knows its basics well and has, as if by magic, managed to effectively hide itself in plain sight and importantly stay alone as long as it wishes too."

On the importance of staying at home, he cites the example of hermit crabs. "Hermit Crabs are victims of misnomenclature. They are more similar to certain lobsters than to true crabs. Unlike a crab, the hermit crabs do not have a body covered with uniform, hard exoskeleton. The front part (head below) is covered in a tough shell, while the lower part (tail) is soft and remains exposed.

And to cover up this vulnerable portion of their body, the Hermit Crabs use empty gastropod (snails etc.) shells and stay within them. Their tails are curled and have hooks that enable them to get fixed in the shells. Periodically, they outgrow the shells and leave them to find a larger one.

Very few creatures are as desperate as the Hermit Crabs to practise Stay At Home. So much so that they move around everywhere with their homes and practice strict LockDown at the slightest hint of danger."